Their Little Witch
Chapter 23
Bucky left her in the bedroom to change while he explored the upper floor of the house. The house, in truth, looked like it had once been well-loved, and he could easily picture a younger Hermione sitting in the Lounge downstairs, surrounded by piles of books. He ran his hand along the burn marks on the walls, this had been intentional. Someone, probably death eaters, had decided to send her this message. It made his blood boil that she had faced this alone, but the guilty spark in his chest reminded him that, if he'd been more patient, she wouldn't have had to.
One room, he assumed it was hers by the lack of other space, had been completely blown away, leaving only a few floorboards behind. Everything from her life before magic was most likely gone, now.
She'd hinted that she was having problems with her identity, and he closed his eyes, evening out his breathing as he leaned against the wall. The impact of this loss would undoubtedly hit her hard. She'd expected to be comforted, reassured by the memories here, and instead, she'd found it destroyed.
He was angry. Furious, even, at the Wizarding world. This girl, this woman, had given them everything that she had. Every fiber of her being, every possession, every shred of her, and they wanted to reward her for that sacrifice with a prison sentence. She was right, this wasn't fair. He hadn't realised, until just now, how much this had affected her.
They'd sought out a student's home, obliterated everything in it, and he could only thank his lucky stars that her and her parents had not been here.
They'd singled out a student, a child, and had tortured her with that evil curse for a whole year.
And she was expected to be okay with that, to forgive this world for its crimes against her.
He should have had her back, when she'd given him the chance. This, his Hermione, was a battle worth fighting for.
He'd never really faced any discrimination, he was privileged in his youth that he'd been born white, and male. He hadn't had to fight for the right to speak, to enter certain buildings and so he hadn't understood why Hermione wanted to continue to fight, why she couldn't give it up. Looking around her house, he understood now.
In that moment, he knew that he'd help her dismantle this world, brick by brick if that is what it would take.
When the door opened behind him, he instinctively reached a hand out for Hermione. She was cleaner now, though she still looked battle worn and exhausted. She'd brushed her hair and wrapped her arm. She was wearing a clean, black shirt that clung to her figure in a way that was almost indecent, Bucky decided. But she hadn't changed her trousers and she was looking at him with a look of apology and apprehension,
"Can you help me?"
He raised an eyebrow, following her back into the room, averting his eyes with a blush as she started pulling her trousers down, but when she whimpered, he turned back with a serious look on his face. If the wizard downstairs hadn't been dead, he would've been then. On her lower legs, large blisters and red skin stopped her from being able to fully remove her trousers. He almost gagged when he realised that the material was stuck to her skin, which looked dangerously like it was peeling,
"What happened?"
She takes his face in her hands,
"He-He set fire to my legs, and I can't get these off. To be fair, they look better than I thought they would."
He hums in acknowledgement, but his head is still trying to wrap around the fact that someone had actually set her on fire. And she'd still ran to him, she'd still climbed up the stairs. For him.
His fingers ghosted over her skin, and he was determined not to look higher than her knees,
"How can I help?"
She sucks in a breath,
"I need you to take the trousers off."
He tenses, swallowing hard. The trousers were stuck to her skin and there was a good chance that her legs would peel if he did that. He looked up into her eyes, his heart twanging at the fear he saw. In theory, the nanites had already started working, he could tell by the way the skin looked, and that her cut on her arm had stopped bleeding, but this was still going to look and feel awful for a while. It would hurt her, if he took these off. But she was looking at him with such a pleading face that he couldn't say no,
"This will hurt you."
She looks at him,
"I trust you."
He's pretty sure he's meant to leave the clothes on if they stick, but with the nanites in her system (Which he realises belatedly that she still doesn't know about.) he thinks it's not worth the risk.
He sucks in a deep breath, trying hard to steady his hands as he delicately pinches the fabric. As he peels it down, Hermione tenses and he desperately wants to stop, he doesn't want to hurt her any more than he already has.
The fabric only gives a bit of resistance, and for a moment he's confused about why she needed help, then she whimpers and he looks up, her face is contorted with agony. That's why.
He continues to pull the fabric down, and when he finally reaches her ankles, he could weep with relief. He pulls them past her feet, gently taking her thighs in his hands, and she smiles a watery smile at him. He looks down at her legs, gently running his fingers over her knees,
"The nanites in your blood will fix this, but it won't be quick. Do you have any more burn paste?"
She frowns at him, cocking her head,
"Nanites?"
She pulls her bag over, digging through it as he speaks,
"That's what Shuri did for you arm, we could either fill you with microscopic little robots that will help you heal, or you would lose your arm. I'm sorry that you didn't get to have any input on the matter."
She hands him the tub at his expectant look and she smiles weakly,
"Will they be a problem for my magic?"
He shakes his head as he opens the jar,
"Shuri thinks it's unlikely," He starts rubbing the cream onto her legs gently, making sure to smother them, "It was an experimental procedure, they'll help you heal faster, so small injuries are basically non-existent now. I was going to tell you yesterday, but things happened. It will also mean that you'll live a bit longer, Shuri thinks you'll have the same life span as Steve and I now. I almost expect Luna to volunteer for the injection as well."
Hermione takes it all in her stride,
"So, I have teeny-tiny robots in my blood that are designed to keep me alive? That's pretty sci-fi."
He grins at her as he closes the tub, handing it back to her,
"You're taking it well."
"Anything is better than letting the curse spread."
He nods sagely, rising to his feet,
"You might want to wear a skirt for today, though. I'll leave you to get dressed." As he's walking away, she grabs his hand,
"Thank you. For helping, and for being here."
He just nods at her, stepping out of the room.
She pulls a dark skirt out of her bag, a gypsy style in a deep brown that falls in simple layers. She pulls it on delicately, sliding her feet into a pair of comfortable trainers. She opens her father's bedside drawer, smiling softly as she lifts up a secret bottom. Her father had been a paranoid man, his years as a soldier had trained him to be ready for anything, and around the house he had little hidden spots. In this drawer, he'd confided to her one day, was a sum of money that he'd hidden for her and her mother, should they ever be in a situation where they had no other option but to run. He'd seen what was happening in her world, he had known that there were dark days ahead for his daughter, but he'd never imagined that she'd face them without her parents.
She swallowed thickly as she picked up the wad of cash, a wave of affection for her father hitting her like a tidal wave. Underneath the cash, was a single envelope with her name on it. She picked it up with shaky fingers. She slid the cash on to the bed, slowly lowering herself down onto it as well.
"B-Bucky?"
He enters the room quickly, taking in the scene with a questioning gaze,
"Sit with me?"
He nods and settles next to her as she pulls a letter and a handful of photos out of the envelope, with her permission, he reads over her shoulder,
My Darling Hermione,
If you're reading this, then something terrible has happened and you've had no other option than to go into our secret drawer. I'm sorry, my Darling, that it has come to this. The chances are, if you're reading this, then you're alone, now.
When I'd first started saving this money, I'd done it with you and your mother in my mind. I'd always thought that, if no one else, you'd have her still.
Well, I can only apologise for my own naivety. You've just come home from your fifth year at Hogwarts, and your mother is sat in with you at the moment. You're not awake, the wizard who bought you here told me you were brave, that you'd done a great thing. And I'm sure you did, and im sure you were, but by the Lord above, I wish you didn't have to be brave. Your injury is horrific, its weeping and angry, and you look so small in your bed.
I'm sure you'd agree that I am not an emotional man, but I sat by your side tonight, and I cried for the daughter that I have lost. Because, I'm sure that when you wake up, you'll smile and you'll laugh, but I also know, without a doubt, that things will never be the same for you. You've seen your first battle, a battle that I cannot follow you into.
I want to protect you, to pull you from this evil world and take you back to America with your mother, but you are my daughter, and I know you won't run from this.
So I can only pray, that when all is said and done, you remember this: Your mother and I love you, very much, and we have always been proud of you.
When I came back from war, I'd forgotten who I was before I was a soldier. Then I was a dentist and a father, and only then did I begin to soften. I don't want that for you. I want you to remember the smiles and the tears, the anger and the joy.
You've always been such a smart girl, My Hermione, your love for learning is unparalleled, and your love for books has cost your mother and I a small fortune over the years. But you're more than a brain, and that's what you need to remember.
You're an amazing daughter, a beautiful young lady who loves to be outside. You love people, you love to be surrounded by people who smile a lot, and you love your friends. You hate cowardice, you hate stupidity and racism. You love the sound of the rain on the windows, we recorded the sound for you when you were small because it helped you sleep.
But, the most important thing to remember, Hermione, is that the world's problems are not your own. Walk away, if you need to. Be strong only when you have to and don't forget to love. Give your heart without hesitation, my Darling Girl.
I'll finish this letter here, and with the knowledge that what I need you to know has been said.
I am so, so proud of you.
With all my love,
Today and Forever,
Your Father.
The paper is going wet with her tears, her hands shaking uncontrollably. She gently places the letter back into the envelope before flicking through the photos. There's photos from their Christmases, their holidays and her years at Hogwarts. A warmth is in her chest that won't fade, and she looks up into Bucky's eyes,
"He was a good man."
Bucky smiles sadly,
"I'm sure he was, Doll."
She picks up the cash, there's enough here to set her up for a while, she realises sadly. He'd really thought of everything.
Bucky rubs her back gently while she straightens herself out. She slides the cash into her beaded bag and stands, offering him her hand,
"Shall we go find food?"
He nods, taking her hand in his as they walk out of the room, closing the door behind them.
He helps her get down the stairs, and she leads him out of the house and onto the street,
"Is everyone else still in Wakanda?"
Bucky laughs,
"No, no. They've gone ahead to Luna's house; it's where we've decided to stay while we're here. She said her dad is out of the country. I wanted to come and find you alone, I thought it would give us a chance to talk, clear the air a bit."
She nods, nibbling on her bottom lip. She doesn't know where she'll stay, she certainly has the money for a hotel, but the thought of being alone fills her with dread, she looks up at Bucky carefully, would it be weird to ask him to stay with her? Probably, she supposes. Besides, he might need a break from her after the events of today,
"Have you been to Luna's house?"
Bucky shakes his head,
"No, I came straight to you. Why? Is it as eccentric as she is?"
Hermione giggles,
"It's called The Rook for a reason; it's shaped like the chess piece. It's pretty though, there's a brook nearby and she takes good care of her garden. I'm sure you'll like it a lot."
He stops walking, turning to her,
"You're not coming?" There's a cute frown on his face and Hermione tugs him along,
"I have reasons, I promise. I'll probably stay in a hotel in the area though, or my tent."
Bucky's frowning as they walk,
"But, why?"
She doesn't want to tell him, and as she spots the bakery, she finds a good reason to end the conversation,
"This is the bakery, come on."
She leads him inside, it's a cute little place with only a few tables and it's owned by an elderly couple, with their grandchildren working for them. Hermione leads Bucky to the counter,
"What would you like? My treat."
He narrows his eyes at her before looking through the glass and up at the menu, they have a small selection of sandwiches and various pastry based treats,
"I'll have a ham and cheese sandwich, please."
Hermione nods, ordering his sandwich, a cheese and cucumber sandwich for her and two mugs of hot chocolate. The woman at the counter smiles appreciatively at Bucky, making Hermione frown as she hands over the money for their food. Bucky, for his part, didn't notice the other woman.
He let Hermione lead him to a small, private booth at the back of the bakery, and he holds her seat out for her before taking his own.
They're sitting opposite each other, neither is dressed up and they both know that this isn't a date, but Bucky can't help himself from imagining that it was, that he had done the gentleman thing and paid for her, that maybe they'd see a movie later, and she'd put on a pretty outfit and dress up just for him. Then he banishes the thought away,
"Why don't you want to stay at Luna's? Is it me?"
Hermione frowns, taking his hands in hers over the table,
"Of course not, Bucky. I just, I'm having certain issues that I need to deal with."
"Let me help you, you're not alone."
She smiles up at him, a real smile,
"You already help me with so much more than you know, I won't burden or hinder you with this. But I'll be close. And I promise, I won't shut you out."
He doesn't like it.
She figures that he doesn't need to.
When the waitress comes over, she focuses on Bucky, and this time he notices. She's bringing over their drinks, a saucy grin on her face that sets him on edge,
"Here you go, Mister?"
He blinks at her, and then turns to Hermione who, he notices, is turning a funny shade of purple. He squeezes her hand gently,
"My date has a drink as well, I assume?"
He doesn't give her his name, and the waitress blushes before handing Hermione her drink and scurrying away. Hermione relaxes, turning to him with a funny look in her eyes,
"Your date?"
He grins,
"Got her to leave, didn't it?"
She smiles up at him, not telling him that she didn't mind.
Bucky takes a sip of his drinks, moaning appreciatively in a way that makes Hermione stare at him, her mouth suddenly very dry as she brings her drink to her lips.
The drink is perfect, she realises with a start. She was both hungry and thirsty, and it took a lot of self-control not to drink the whole thing immediately, much to Bucky's amusement,
"If you'd let me in last night, you wouldn't be so hungry."
She pokes her tongue out at him and he grins, his eyes lighting up. She's struck by just how beautiful this man was, of course she'd already known, but in this moment, this moment was hers, and he was beautiful, with bits of hot chocolate staining his lips.
She realises she's staring when he brushes his face with his hand,
"Did I spill some? Is there something on my face?"
She shook her head at him, smiling softly. He looks at her with a confused frown, but smiles none the less.
When their food arrives, Hermione waits patiently for Bucky to take his first bite before she starts eating hers.
Within minutes, her plate is empty and Bucky pushes the other half of his sandwich towards her but she shakes her head, nudging it back,
"I feel better now, thank you though."
He just nods slowly, finishing his sandwich quickly. They finish their drinks in silence and when they stand up to leave, Hermione slips her hand back into Bucky's, to help guide him, of course.
"I'm thinking, I want to head to the shops before I take you to Luna's, we can stock up. Luna's place is great, but her food will be mostly wizarding stuff, which your stomachs won't be used to."
Bucky just nods, still unimpressed with the fact that she wouldn't be staying in the house.
She takes him to a large Tesco, where she pushes a trolley and he grabs things from the shelves, like eggs, butter, bread. He grabs several packets of ham, some frozen chips and pizzas.
Hermione grabs some supplies for her tent, too. Crisps, ready made sandwiches, a few bottles of Coke.
After they've paid, Hermione leads him behind the shop, her eyes looking up to his face,
"You ready?"
He takes a deep breath,
"Promise not to splinch either of us?"
She smiles, taking his hand and apparating them to The Rook.
Bucky puts his head between his legs when they arrive, Hermione smiling at him fondly,
"You good?"
He puts his thumb up at her before standing back to his full height, looking at the house in front of him with no small amount of wonder,
"She really is unique."
Hermione giggles,
"You have no idea."
Hermione walks away from the house, past the wars lines and begins setting up her tent,
"Erecto."
Bucky watches as the tent puts itself up, a small smile tugging at his lips. He then watches her put her own wards up, glad to have already been included in them this time.
When the tent is up, he follows Hermione inside, watching her put away her own groceries. He watches her work for a while; she potters around mumbling to herself about where things belong. The mid afternoon sun isn't warm,
"Where are we?"
She looks up with a grin,
"This is Ottery St Catchpole, if you walk about half an hour that way," She points behind him, "You'll find The Burrow, where the Weasley's live. If you think Luna's house is unique, you wouldn't believe The Burrow."
Bucky wrinkles his nose,
"What kind of name is Ottery St Catchpole?"
She laughs, a delighted sound,
"That was basically my reaction, too."
When she sits on the floor, he moves to sit next to her,
"How are your legs feeling?"
She shrugs,
"Like they're really greasy and regrowing skin, so a bit uncomfortable. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"
He thinks for a moment,
"I could go for watching a movie, to help with my emotional stress."
She grins and summons the laptop, enlarging it with a flick of her wand,
"What would you like to see?"
He shrugs, smiling at her,
"You choose."
She thinks for a second before choosing Jurassic Park. A good classic that everyone should see, in her opinion.
She summons a fluffy blanket, draping it over the both of them as the movie starts.
Bucky's arm drapes around her waist and she curls into his side, resting her head on his shoulder.
They choose to watch the second together as well, and by the time it's over, she thinks she's made a dinosaur fan out of Bucky. He's chatting about the movie,
"It's amazing what they can do now! It looked real!"
She grins at him,
"Maybe tomorrow we can watch the third, but it's not one of the better ones."
He smiles at her and she reluctantly peels herself away from his side, watching as he stands up and stretches,
"I really can't convince you to come and sleep in the house?"
She shakes her head and he just sighs and nods,
"Well, goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight Bucky, sweet dreams."
When he leaves the wards, she feels the emptiness return. His presence makes her feel safe and wanted, he was her own personal bubble of happiness, hers to protect.
That's why she wouldn't stay in the house. She threw up her silencing spells, the nightmares would return, and she didn't want to burden him with that, because he would come running if he heard her scream. She wouldn't wake him up because of her own stupid brain.
The exhaustion was creeping into her bones, and she shuffled over to the spot Bucky had been in, cuddling into the blanket with only a flicker of fear. She waved her hand, flicking the lights off.
As she fell into sleep, she pictured Bucky, and that cute smile that he reserved just for her.
When Bucky had entered the house, the others were waiting for him,
"Where is she?"
Bucky sits down, running his hands down his face,
"Her house had been blown up. Did either of you know?"
Both Luna and Harry shook their heads, their horrified looks being mirrored on Steve. He just nods at them,
"And Dolohov arrived." He filled them in on the events of the day, but none of them could work out why she wouldn't come into the house, Luna's voice was small when she asked,
"Is it because of us? Is she still upset?"
Bucky considered this, then brushed it away,
"Whatever her reason is, it's hers."
They'd nodded at that before heading their separate ways for sleep. Harry was in Luna's dads room, Bucky had opted to stay in the lounge and Steve and Luna were in her room.
For a while, Bucky had drifted in and out of sleep, unable to get comfortable. There was a weird pang in his chest that kept waking him up, and at around three am, he'd given up on sleep entirely.
He'd risen to his feet, debating on what to do before he found himself leaving the house, just to check on Hermione. He didn't like the idea of her being out here alone. She hated to be alone.
With a frown, he noticed that it was oddly silent as he approached the tent. There was no gentle snoring, which he'd realised quite quickly was one of his favourite things about the girl.
But, when he pulled the door to the tent open, a piercing scream had reached his ears and his eyes had widened as he took in the sight in front of him. Hermione was thrashing around on the floor, screaming almost at the top of her lungs,
"NO! LEAVE HIM ALONE! IT WAS ME! TAKE ME INSTEAD! BUCKY! NO!"
And then he's on the floor, pulling her into his chest, stroking her hair and whispering reassuring words into her ears, he's safe, she's safe, no one can get them here.
She woke with a start, her body jerking into a sitting position and she stared at him, dawning horror filling her face,
"Y-You weren't meant to see that."
He rolls his eyes, pulling the stupid girl into his arms,
"Don't be thick, Hermione, it doesn't suit you."
She swallows hard,
"I don't want you to see me like that."
He shakes his head,
"When did this start?"
"Yesterday, when I was in my room, I found that I was having blackouts and I couldn't get her laughter out of my head. Then, both times I've slept since; she's been in my dreams too. You already do so much for me; I just wanted you to sleep through the night without worrying over me."
Bucky lays on the ground, bringing her head onto his chest,
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Hermione blushes,
"If only you knew." She mumbles into his chest, "How much you help me already."
Bucky grips her tighter,
"Tell me."
"Do you remember, at the battle, you had a question for me? Ask me now."
"What was the memory you used for your patronus?"
She smiles at him,
"Don't you know?" At the shake of his head, she blinks up at him, "It was you. Our kiss, the movie night we had, your smile," She runs her fingers along his chin, "You're my happy memory, Bucky. You make me feel safe and-"
She blushes, cutting herself off and burying her face into his chest, missing the large smile that spread over his cheeks. She can hear his heart beating faster in his chest though.
"Hermione?"
She nods her head into his chest, and he pulls her up, so she's straddling his waist, and he looks into her eyes,
"Doll, what are you saying?"
She's blushing a deep red, and her small hands are pressed onto Bucky's shoulders,
"You've become very important to me, Bucky."
He grins at her,
"You're important to me, too."
They lay there for a while before Bucky goes to stand, but Hermione's hand closes in his,
"Stay with me?"
His face softens and he rolls to face her,
"Of course I will, Doll."
For a few moments, Hermione starts to doze, and the Bucky's voice, soft and quiet, whispers to her,
"Go on a date with me? Tomorrow?"
Her breath catches in her throat, and then she looks up at him, a soft smile on her face,
"I'd like that."
She falls asleep with a smile on her face. Bucky's heart is beating hard in his chest, a broad smile on his face as he looks up at the ceiling. She said yes.
A.N. Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Marvel. Please review! Please remember that this doesn't follow canon at all, so some of the characters may behave a bit differently to what you are used to! If anyone wants to design me a cover, please feel free!